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The fortunes of SAS co-founders Jim Goodnight (pictured) and John Sall have grown in the… more

SAS

CARY – A Google executive and a pharmaceutical entrepreneur are among those who have recently overtaken Jim Goodnight on a list of the world’s billionaires, even as the SAS co-founder’s fortunes continued to grow.

Forbes magazine estimated Goodnight’s wealth at $7.7 billion, up from $7.3 billion a year ago. But his global ranking slipped to 154 from 125. He’s the 50th-wealthiest person in the United States, according to Forbes.

The fortunes of SAS co-founders Jim Goodnight (pictured) and John Sall have grown in the… more

SAS

John Sall, who is also a co-founder and top executive at the privately held Cary-based software company, similarly slipped in the annual ranking by Forbes, to No. 353 from No. 296, though his wealth also continued to grow, to $3.8 billion from $3.7 billion last year.

Like many companies whose co-owners are on Forbes’ list, SAS is privately held, and it’s not clear how Forbes valued Goodnight’s and Sall’s stakes in the company. But Forbes did note that SAS’ revenue continued to grow last year, to $2.87 billion.

Also unclear is how the 2012 bankruptcy of Connexion Technologies may have affected their standing on Forbes’ list. The Cary-based broadband company dissolved over the course of the year, taking with it some 400 jobs and a $450 million investment by Goodnight and Sall.

Among those overtaking Goodnight was Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, whose estimated wealth has grown to $8.2 billion since last year, from $6.9 billion. Schmidt said last month that he’s planning to unload almost half his Google shares, bringing his stake in the Silicon Valley giant from about $5.5 billion to about $3 billion. Schmidt is No. 138 on Forbes’ 2013 list and No. 45 among Americans.

Publishing magnate Samuel Irving “Si” Newhouse also jumped past Goodnight, with estimated wealth growing to $8.1 billion, from $7.1 billion. Advance Publications includes the magazine publisher Conde Nast, American City Business Journals and several other publishing subsidiaries. Newhouse owns Advance with his brother Donald (estimated net worth: $7.3 billion). Triangle Business Journal is an operating unit of American City Business Journals.

Also jumping Goodnight was Alexei Kuzmichev, co-founder and co-owner of Alfa Group, which holds major stakes in the following: a cellular company, Russia’s largest retailer, and a large Russian oil company. Kuzmichev’s wealth grew to $8.2 billion, from $6.7 billion in 2012.

Patrick Soon-Shiong similarly jumped past Goodnight in the rankings. Soon-Shiong founded and later sold two pharmaceutical companies and is now running NantWorks, a company focused on digitizing health care and several other industries. A Los Angeles resident, Soon-Shiong saw his wealth grow to $8 billion from $7.2 billion last year.